"On My Way" is a

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

song that appeared on the album ''

Louis and the Good Book ''Louis and the Good Book'' is a 1958 jazz and spirituals album by Louis Armstrong. Singles included "I'll String Along with You" / "On My Way (Out on My Traveling Shoes)" 1959, also known as I'm On My Way.Scott Allen Nollen ''Louis Armstrong: Th ...

'' in 1958 and was issued with "

I'll String Along with You ''Twenty Million Sweethearts'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Ray Enright and starring Pat O'Brien, Dick Powell, Ginger Rogers, and The Mills Brothers. The film was remade in 1949 as ''My Dream Is Yours''. Plot Ag ...

" as a single in 1959. It features a solo section with Louis and

Trummy Young James "Trummy" Young (January 12, 1912 – September 10, 1984) was an American trombonist in the swing era. He established himself as a star during his 12 years performing with Louis Armstrong in Armstrong's All Stars. He had one hit with his v ...

. A variant of

I'm on My Way (traditional song) "I'm on my way (and I won't turn back)" is a traditional Gospel song. It is described a typical "going-to-Canaan" song; and possibly an Underground Railroad song. The lyrics begin ''"I'm on my way and I won't turn back, I'm on my way and I won't tu ...

, Armstrong's version starts with "On My Way" or "I'm on My Way" (or similar phrases in various versions) and then goes into a chorus "On my way now, got on my traveling shoes...". The song is no relation to "Oh, Lawd, I'm on My Way!", a song sung by

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

the previous year (1957) on the ''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', itse ...

'' album by Fitzgerald and Armstrong. That song begins: "Porgy and all, I'm on my way to a heav'nly lan.Wojcik, Pamela Robertson and Knight, Arthur, ''Soundtrack Available: Essays on Film and Popular Music'', 2001 p. 329, "... At the time they recorded Porgy and Bess, neither Louis Armstrong nor Ella Fitzgerald was much seen as an oppositional, ... namely with "Summertime" and "Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way" — and thus strongly suggesting the show's narrative arc."

References

1958 songs Louis Armstrong songs {{1950s-song-stub